Waldorf School in Eliot, Maine, wins auction for new location

Wednesday

Jan 2, 2013 at 3:15 AM

By Michelle Kingstonmkingston@fosters.com

ELIOT — The Tidewater Waldorf School received an early Christmas present this year — a new home for its students, complete with modern updates, bright windows and more acreage — at a property that was once almost home to a strip club.

When the former Rainbow Country Day Learning Center building was put on the market for $1.2 million last winter, it was soon the center of controversy for the town, when a strip club became interested in the property. The spot, at 403 Route 236, was not an ideal location for such a business, according to the town.

“I am so glad to see this property go full circle and back into a wholesome establishment that meets the criteria of what we want our town to look like,” Mike Moynahan, chairman of Board of Selectmen in Eliot, said in a public statement. “It’s great to see a local nonprofit and good neighbor do so well in our community. We are excited that Tidewater School has this opportunity to flourish in our town.”

Eliot put three ordinances in place to stop the club from being allowed to open in the small town, according the chair of the board of trustees for the Tidewater Waldorf School, Deirdre McEachern. It was later foreclosed on and was stripped of its appliances, including the light fixtures outside.

McEachern put the school’s finances in order in a matter of weeks to be qualified to bid on the property at a TD Bank foreclosure auction.

“All of these other businesses wanted it and we thought there was no way we would get it. They all had a ton of money,” she said. “But, miracles are miracles, it came down to us and one other business, and they stopped bidding at $451,000.”

McEachern said they purchased the building for $455,000.

“We got it for half price, that is why it is such a miracle,” she said. “I just fell on my knees. I was crying. We were all jumping up and down.”

The Tidewater Waldorf School will be moving to its new location in the spring, after inviting the community to join in on the celebration of their new home.

“This is such a positive turn of events for this building,” McEachern said in a public statement. “Waldorf education is the world’s fastest growing alternative educational movement in the world and promotes good community citizenship, respect for the environment and rigorous academics taught through innovative methods.”

The school has been in the area since 1999 and is currently on the corner of Beech Road and Route 236.

“It used to be a chicken coop, then a garden center,” McEachern said. “Then it was gifted to us and we’ve made do, but it is cold, we’ve had to repair the roof three times and the water heater broke last year.”

Their new school has five acres of land and a newly renovated building that was updated in 2004, with wider doors, heated floors and new infrastructure.

The new space, according to McEachern will allow the school to expand its enrollment and offer more nature-based programs.

“We didn’t know until after we won the bidding, but along one whole side and in the back of the building there is a nature preserve for American cottontail rabbits, which are endangered,” she said.

This addition to the property is perfect for a Waldorf school, which prides itself on its environmental aspect of learning.

“Our kids learn from an early age how to farm, harvest and eat what they grow, all organic food,” McEachern said. “We do a lot with the environment.”

There are 45 students at Tidewater Waldorf School ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade. McEachern said the students work in their own classes, but spend a lot of time doing group work.

“They work to be natural leaders and to think about the community as opposed to thinking about self,” she said. “They do a lot of real-world, hands-on activities.”

After eighth grade, students enroll in high schools of their choice. Students at the school are from all over the Seacoast, including Dover, Newmarket, Durham, Portsmouth, Hampton, Kittery, Eliot and South Berwick. The nearest Waldorf schools aside from this location are in Freeport, Maine, and Beverly, Mass.

“Most of the kids that graduate here end up in honors classes and even skipping a grade,” McEachern said.

“We’re happy to be part of this feel-good story,” said Kevin Gray, branch manager and vice president of Kennebunk Savings in Eliot. “Especially during the holidays.”

Gray, along with Chris Kehl of Kennebunk Savings, were a huge help with mortgage arrangements, according to McEachern. “I feel so grateful for their support.”

Tidewater Waldorf School is now accepting applications for Spring 2013 and Fall 2013. For more information, call (207) 439-7911 or visit www.tidewaterschool.org.